The present invention relates to hydraulic drilling rigs.
Previously available drilling rigs have suffered a number of disadvantages such as size which has inhibited access to restricted sites. Further disadvantages including costly setting up procedures and difficulty in attempting to sloping ground surfaces. A still further problem is the cost of transporting the drilling rigs.
Previous drilling apparatus are described in Australian patents 568378 and 697366 as well as Australian applications 76103/98 and 20175/00.
The drilling apparatus which are the subject of the above mentioned patent specifications. The devices of the specifications do not overcome the problems discussed above.
It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate at least one of the above disadvantages.
There is disclosed herein a drilling rig to be mounted on a vehicle providing hydraulic fluid under pressure, said rig including:
a telescopic boom having a first and second end, said first end being adapted to be pivotally attached to said vehicle for movement about a generally horizontal first axis;
a first hydraulic ram mounted on the boom to cause telescopic extension and retraction thereof;
a leader pivotally mounted on the second end for movement about a generally horizontal second axis, the second axis being generally transverse of said boom, the leader being adapted to support a drilling assembly;
a second hydraulic ram, the second ram being pivotally attached to said boom and pivotally attached to said leader and operable to cause linear movement of said leader relative to said boom;
an assembly attaching said second end to said leader to provide for said linear movement of said leader relative to said second end in a direction generally perpendicular to said second axis; and
a third hydraulic ram, the third ram extending between said boom and leader and being pivotally attached to the leader at a location spaced from said second end for pivoting movement about a generally horizontal fourth axis, the third ram being operable to cause pivoting of said leader about said second axis.